We could say that the Buddha was teaching us to breath again. It’s said that the prince Siddhartha was sitting under a Bodhi tree, practicing the anapanasati (the mindfulness of breathing) when he gained enlightenment and became awake, a Buddha. He was aware of the whole experience of breathing. Through breathing he trained the mind to be sensitive to the body, rapture, pleasure, the mind, mental processes, impermanence, dispassion, cessation, relinquishment. And while breathing he learned to release the mind from suffering. In this session we explore turning towards experience with breathing.
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Miles Kessler – Week of 15 June, 2026
This week’s theme is: The Seven Factors Of Awakening . In this week of daily meditations, you will explore the Buddha’s foundational teaching on the “Seven Factors of Awakening” (bojjhaṅga): mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. Together we will examine how these qualities arise in meditation practice, are gradually cultivated, and are the very factors that support awakening. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how the path of practice unfolds, and you will gain practical tools for cultivating greater balance, clarity, and insight. “For one who is mindful, investigating phenomena, energy arises. For one who is energetic, joy arises…” – Samyutta Nikaya. Our Dharma Library thrives through collective generosity. Your donation helps sustain this offering for our entire community.
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Wise Resolve: Finding Inner Strength
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June 26, 2022 In an effort to counter tendencies towards striving and over-achieving, many Western approaches to meditation and spirituality emphasize relaxation. While relaxation and ease are essential ingredients on the meditative path, they must be integrated with whole-hearted effort. How do we find inner strength and make a clear resolve that is informed by wisdom and balanced…
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How to Find Equanimity Amidst Upheaval
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May 3, 2020 We are deeply habituated to seek equanimity as if it’s a state to be found. In times of crisis, stakes are high. We try harder. The more desperate we feel, the more effort we put in. In this striving, we forget to ask: “Who is it that’s striving?” This question isn’t about finding the right…
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Letting go of fear; finding courage in the face of uncertainty.
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March 5, 2017 Even though we know fear does not serve us, we often allow it to stop or limit us. We might not even be aware of the ways it drives us and makes us smaller than we are. Though we might think we can control life, there is little we can actually control. If we are…
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Daily Meditation Recordings, with Christine Kupfer – Week of July 15, 2024
This week’s topic is “Freeing The Heart-Mind From Doubt”. Doubt is like any other mind state. But it is a tricky one and can be a sticky one. It’s questioning component is a means for liberation, but it can also suck us into a maze. Lets explore doubt and free the heart-mind this week in the light of the Buddha’s teachings, presence and meditation.
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Dancing with Dukkha and Sukha: Meeting the 10,000 joys and sorrows of our daily lives
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May 7, 2023 In this ever-changing landscape of living, the buddha dharma and psychological inquiry offer us skillful ways to pause and soften into the things that bring pain and suffering, while also reminding us to fully embrace the many contentments and connections life also beautifully and innocently offers. In our time together, Sarah will invite us to…
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Living by Vow
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November 1, 2020 If we start with the understanding that everyone is living by vow, how can we examine what vows we are following and change to follow the ones that lead to liberation?
Discussion